Sliding or telescoping door systems have many applications. When the individual panels of a door system or door package are in a fully retracted position, the panels are typically aligned in an adjacent and parallel orientation at a position adjacent to either the left or right door jamb and the doorway is deemed open for normal ingress and egress, although the panels continue to block a portion of the doorway. When the individual panels are in a fully extended position, the panels extend across the doorway, marginally overlapping along adjacent ends, and the doorway is closed. In some situations, including but not limited to hospital environments and, more particularly, intensive care units, occasionally the need arises to increase the size of the doorway opening and to do so in as quick and efficient manner as possible and to do so in a manner that reduces the potential spread of germs.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,096,342 discloses a door package system that eliminates a floor-based track system for sliding and telescoping door panel packages minimizing the collection of bacteria and other types of debris and thereby providing a cleaner environment. The door package system is also capable of full breakout meaning, when the individual door panels are retracted, the door panels may pivot or swing in unison about the ends adjacent the door jamb to further enlarge the opening of the doorway. An enlarged opening permits greater access to the room, facilitates ingress and egress of patient beds, other large equipment and/or hospital staff. However, this system also involves manual actuation of a sliding door lock to decouple the door panels from the overhead sliding track and from each other to allow the panels to pivot or swing open. More specifically, lock rod 512 extending to the bottom of the door panel must be manually removed from hole 514 in the swing arm 210 to permit the swing arm 210 to separate. A companion lock rod, not shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,096,342, typically extending vertically to the top of the door panel also would need to be repositioned to decouple the door panels from the top portion of the door frame including the overhead sliding mechanism. The manual actuation of these latch mechanisms increases the risk of spreading germs, requires personnel to know where the manual latch mechanisms are located and how to operate them, and increases the time to move the door package into a full breakout position.